By
William Keck, USA TODAY
SANTA MONICA — Demi Moore had heard whispers that something special was in store for Friday's Chanel Cruise fashion show, held in a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport.
"I hear there's a big surprise coming," said Moore, anticipating something representative of Chanel, which to her is all about, "classic, elegant with a little bit of a twist."
But no one expected a full-sized plane, bearing a Chanel Airlines logo on its side, to pilot down to the hangar's open doors.
Victoria "Posh" Beckham had a birds-eye view from her front row sofa as a steady stream of models walked down the plane steps and onto a rotating runway wearing navy outfits that brought to mind '70s airline uniforms and roller-derby wear, complete with orange headbands and floppy hats.
Beckham, with her blonde hair swept over her eyes, raved about Chanel and her vintage mint-colored sweater with black trim. "I collect vintage," she explained.
Lindsay Lohan said she had been at the airport for five hours with designer Karl Lagerfeld, the evening's host, who let her try on his items. Lohan said she was hoping to score a pair of patent leather shoes.
As for her weekend of partying in the Bahamas, Lohan steered clear of addressing questions by explaining it was "all a blur." From the Bahamas, Lohan had headed to New York to help celebrate Janet Jackson's 41st birthday.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who has four movies lined up, chose her black and gold gown because it reminded her of Monte Carlo. "I picture this as the epitome of what gambling in Monte Carlo would be like," she said. "The amazing thing about Chanel is it doesn't matter if it's a trend or its something classic, you always feel like a lady when you wear it."
Licking a cheesecake lollipop, Gellar said she was particularly fond of the models in the show who wore belts over dresses.
The most applause greeted a set of male and female models dressed in black sequined smoking jackets — both smoking cigarettes as they paraded down the runway.
"The smoking" was Eva Mendes' favorite part. Asked if she could picture the jacket on her special man, she said, "No, I liked the girl."
Heroes star Ali Larter also raved about the smoking jacket. "I need to get one," she said.
"They'd be perfect to wear backstage while getting ready for a show," said burlesque beauty Dita Von Teese of the jackets. But no head bands for her. "You have to know when to leave things," she said. "Head bands are good for the Chanel runways and Axel Rose, but not for me."
Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, both in black, proved to be their usual silent selves, turning away press with a sheepish smile as they simply walked away. But in unison, they took a moment to clarify that the fur one was wearing was "faux."
Also attending: Geena Davis, with her hair pulled back, singer Lily Allen, Claudia Schiffer, Angie Harmon, Emma Roberts, Elisha Cuthbert and Kristin Bell.
At the end of the show, Lohan climbed the stairs of the plane and received a kiss on the cheek from Lagerfeld. Asked about her favorite part of the show, Lohan said, "I loved when (one model) was walking her purse like a dog. But you probably won't see me do that because I don't want to ruin my Chanels. But if I want to dirty them up, then maybe."
Lohan says she has two dogs, Dakota and Brooklyn, but "they're with my mom now."
[usatoday]